At Cole Music Company, it is our mission to produce unique designs that sound amazing, look cool, and function perfectly. We hand make all of our gear in the United States using only the best materials and the finest components. Seriously.
“Lutherie is in my blood. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. My father was a luthier, so I grew up around fine instruments and the smell of hot hide glue. I’ve carried on my family legacy in my shop, Cole Music Company, where I specialize in the repair of high-end vintage and boutique guitars. For over a decade, this experience has given me the rare opportunity to learn from—and sometimes improve upon—the techniques of the greats. Now I’m proud to bring these skills to bear, to continue my family tradition—to present Cole Music Company Guitars.”
— Eben Cole
We design our guitars to incorporate the best aspects of traditional craftsmanship into a unique design approach and modern functionality. We build our instruments the same way Leo did in the 50's; there are no CNC machines, no pre-finished bodies, no pre-built necks—just routers, rasps and sweat. Our instruments and amplifiers are handmade with the finest USA-made components.
A Brief History
Gene Cole bought a small general store from Reverend Laraway in Susanville, CA in 1968. As a self-taught luthier he turned it into Cole Music Co., a repair shop and purveyor of high quality string and fretted instruments.
In 1970, he moved the operation to Sonora, CA and stayed there until 1976 when he sold that particular location to Kent Stevens, who ran it until the 1990’s.
Gene, the ever rolling stone, was off to Colorado Springs from 1976 to '79 and operated under the name Old Folklore Center. That eventually became John Ramsey’s store, and he changed the name to Tejon Street Music. The storefront is still there, an amazing place, nestled right in the midst of that top-notch bluegrass scene.
In 1979, Gene moved the family to Spokane, WA. Eben, his son, who learned from his father, took over the business and opened a new storefront in the historic Garland neighborhood in 2006, and has been there ever since.
This rich history of working with the world’s finest fretted instruments informs every decision put into a Cole Music Co. instrument.